Axial pumps



Jan.. 1, 1963 w.T1RAsPoLsKY 3,071,075

AXIAL PUMPS Filed April 26, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WLADIMIR TIRASPOLSK Y ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1963 w.T1RAsPoLsKY AXIAL PUMPS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1960 INVENTOR WLADIMI? TIRASPOLSKY (Ille.

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ATTORNEY AXIAL PUMPS Filed April 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 446 L47 i M i l l 4l A LJ 2e I 7 4 l 49 I n W A 32 3 35 3f! 65 x -5 as 34 INVENTOR WLAD/MIR TIRA SPOLSK Y @ld/WM L/ wm ATTORNEY Unite States Patent C) 3,071,076 AXIAL PUMPS Wladimir 'll`iraspolsiry, 69 Ave. Victor Cresson, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France Filed Apr. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 24,781 Claims priority, application France Apr. 28, 1959 9 Claims. (Cl. 10S-93s) Generally speaking, pumps have in the last years followed the normal evolution of all techniques, particularly the technique of power machines the tendency of which is to lighten the stock and to substitute a rotational motion for a translational or reciprocatory motion. Thus except for low volumes and high pressures small sized, axial or semi-axial centrifugal pumps comprising a large number of cells and operating at high speeds of rotation have been commonly substituted for piston pumps.

Such a substitution could not be achieved so far for high power pumps delivering under a high pressure liquids containing heavy abrasive matters as is the case for those pumps that are used for injecting drilling mud in grounddrilling rigs. Pumps used hitherto for that purpose are low speed reciprocating pumps which are very heavy and diflicult to manipulate and which necessitate changes of pistons and sleeves when the pump has to be adapted to varying deliveries and pressures, the pressures of delivery of such pumps, when used for continuous service, being moreover limited.

Among the problems to be solved for providing a multicellular pump capable of ensuring under a high pressure a fairly large delivery of a liquid containing abrasive matters, the following problems can be cited: A relatively low flow speed should be obtained for avoiding an unduly'swift abrasion of the pump elements, particularly of the sets of blades. This involves the provision of a pump including a fairly large number of stages. Such a pump is subjected to high axial pressures which must be compensated for with a View to securing adequate operation. Moreover such a pump must be light enough for being easily manipulatable. The liquid which flows through the pump should not be polluted. Furthermore the possibility must be had to combine two or more similar pumps either in parallel or in series and to obtain different operating speeds depending upon the desired output, the actuating power and the density of the liquid driven by the pump. Lastly the construction of such a pump should be simple and rugged while its upkeep should be easy.

-lt is an object of the invention to provide a pump of novel or improved construction utilizable among other purposes for forcing or delivering muds containing heavy and abrasive matters in ground-drilling rigs or installations, said pump belonging to the multi-stage type having intermediate bearings, its output and pressure rise being derived from the combined dynamic actions of stationary blades rigid with the pump body and movable blades rigid with a revoluble shaft, the chief feature of this improved pump residing in the fact that it comprises in combination one or several devices for balancing the axial thrust, for example disc-shaped devices, also means for deriving a portion of the liquid delivered by the pump and for driving it back or injecting it toward one face of said device for creating equilibrium conditions, a purifier device adapted to separate or segregate the heavy and abrasive matters being preferably provided in said liquid deriving means for avoiding damage of said balancing device.

. It is already known to use in power machines devices for compensating the axial thrust by causing dilferentiated pressures to be operative on the two -faces of a disc or equivalent member. However the pump according to the present invention is diierent from known constructions 3,@7l7b Patented dan. l, 1963 by the fact that it utilizes a device arranged outside the normal working circuit of the pump and that it takes advantage of a portion of the liquid forced by the pump to perform conditions of equilibrium, said liquid having been previously purified so as to stave oif the risk of the active surfaces of the balancing disc and one or several associated plates being damaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved pump as aforesaid comprising means for driving a portion of the purified liquid to the pump bearings for irrigating and lubricating said bearings Advantageously purification of the liquid which feeds the balancing device or which irrigates the bearings is performed by one or several Cyclonic contrivances arranged in parallel or in series or else by a centrifugal purifier fitted upon the pump shaft or arranged outside the latter or alternatively by filters or equivalent means.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved pump as aforesaid whose construction is so conceived as to avoid any modification of the final composition of the pumped liquid, means being provided for reinjecting the heavy and/or abrasive matters segregated from the purified liquid at a point of the liquid circuit compatible with the pressure at which said matters are to be found, for example downstreams with respect to a. preset stage of blades of the pump.

Other means are provided according to the invention for driving back to the pump inlet (or to the inlet of the first pump where several pumps are provided in series) the liquid which feeds the balancing device. Moreover the construction is such that the purified liquid which irrigates the bearings should be restored, as it ows from said bearings, to the liquid circuit ilowing through the pump.

Preferably an auxiliary pump operatively connected with the shaft is provided between the last stage of the pump and the balancing device so as to prevent the nonpuriied liquid from reaching the active face of the balancing device and/ or to compensate between the pump outlet and the zone situated on said face of the balancing device for the pressure drop which may prevail in the purier device, particularly where Cyclonic contrivances are used and/ or for creating a substantially constant pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the purifier device independently of the liquid density, assuming the pump to operate at a constant pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pump as aforesaid including an inlet volute and/ or an outlet volute, the inflow of the liquid into the pump or its outflow from the pump taking place in a plane substantialiy at right angles to the pump axis so that said volutes are distorted approximately in the axial direction responsive to the input pressure and/ or the output pressure, thereby ensuring proper concentricity of the bearings and correct perpendicularly (with respect to the pump axis) of the stationary plate or plates belonging to the `balancing device or devices no matter what the operating conditions are.

Yet a further object of the invention .is to provide an improved axial pump aforesaid including stator blades rigid with its outlet volute so as to generate a depression upstreams of the balancing device i.e. a pressure lower than the total delivery pressure.

Throttled passages or apertures are provided downstreams of the baiancing device for constricting the iiow of the purified liquid which is reinjected. toward the adjacent face of the device, thereby generating a slight overpressure which facilitates proper irrigation of a bearing connected with said throttled passages. Likewise the liquid which is reinjected into the pump inlet after having iiown through the balancing device must pass through constricted passages which create a slight over-pressure ensuring proper irrigation of a bearing connected with said passages.

The balancing device or each balancing device may comprise a disc of conventional form or several double discs having opposite bearing surfaces.

The blades are centered with respect to the geometrical axis of the pump and the rotors are advantageously fixed by three Vkeys of semi-circular cross section which ensure adequate centering with respect to the shaft.

Where it is desired to inject for example and emulsified liquid into a well being drilled through the ground, means may be provided on the pump for injecting air or gas under prcssurse at any position of said pump, said position being so selected that for the pressure prevailing thereat, the relative gas volume should be fairly small with respect to that of the liquid for providing adequate supply of gas into the emulsied liquid, thereby avoiding the necessity of effecting the injection into a mass of high pressure liquid as was the case heretofore.

A circuit for injecting purified liquid may be provided so as to feed the balancing device and/or the bearings when the pump is being started, valves or like members being provided for closing the circuit whether automatically or non-automatically following the setting into operation of the pump as soon as the purifier device supplies purified liquid.

With the foregoing and such other objects in view as will incidentally appear hereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction and combination of parts that will be now described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing exemplifying the same and forming a part of the present disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are the two fractions of a general longitudinal sectional view showing a pump according to the invention, some devices being represented diagrammatically.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a constructional modification.

As illustrated, the pump comprises a body 1 which is threaded at both ends for receiving parts forming an inlet volute 2 and an outlet volute 3 and assembled together by means of bolts 4. Through the body 1 extends avk shaft 5 which carries inside said body 1 rotor blades 6 adapted to cooperate with stator blades 7 secured to the' body 1.

At its inlet end the pump has a fianged lid 8 inwhich is housed a gasket 9 through which the shaft 5 is tightly engaged. The lid 8 is fixed by bolts 10 passing throughV its flange to a backing plate 11 belonging to the parts connected by the bolts 4 and forming a carrier for an end4 bearing 12 in whichv the shaft 5 is journalled. Throttling passages 13 are provided in the backing plate 11 for a reason which will be hereafter specified.

A jacket 14 secured to the body 15 of thel volute 2 defines between it and the shaft 5 an annular gap 1S which communicates at its end remote from the backing plate 11 with the pump circuit. The volute 2 is completed by a part 16 which is screwed at 17 to the pump body.

At its outlet end, the pump is closed by a lid 19 in which is housed a gasket 20 forming at the same time a carrier for a bearing 21 through which the output end of the shaft 5 is journalled. The lid 19 defines a chamber 22 which communicates through throttling passages 23 with an annular chamber 24 formed in a tubular part 25`terminating in a liange 26 by which it is fixed by means of the bolts 4 to the body 27 of the outlet volute 3L A balancing discs 28 is keyed to the shaft 5 inside the chamber 24 and has its active face in abutting relation with the associated face of a plate 29 operatively connected to the tubular part 25. A gap 30 defined between the disc 28 and the plate 29 communicates through a constricted annular space 31 with an annular chamber 32 delineated between the shaft 5 and a'jacket '33 which forms the inner boundary of the outlet volute 3. A radial conduit 34 the function of which is indicated hereafter communicates with an annular groove 35 which ends in the constricted space 31.

An auxiliary pump designated generally by 36 slowly moves liquid in a direction reverse of that moved by the sets of blades 6, 7 and is mounted between the annular chamber 32 and the constricted space 31. The jacket 33 is connected atits end opposite to the pump 36 to a stator semi-stage37 which is thus operatively connected to the outlet volute 3.

Between the ends of the pump, the shaft 5 is jou-rnalled in intermediate bearings designated generally by 38 whence radial'channel-s 39 extend thepurpose of which is indicated hereafter.

Inlet and outlet channels 'designated respectively 'by 40 and 41 and associated with the volutes 2 andA3'are-arranged in planes extending at right angles to the shaft axis as indicated lhereinbefore An annular cham-ber 42 is provided between'the sets of blades 6, 7 and the last intermediatebearing 38 provided adjacent the pump outlet.' The chamber 42 communicates with the outside through a channel 43. communication between the chamber 22 and the outside.

Liquid is fed to the pump through a conduit 4S. The outow conduit for the liquid designated by 46 carries a branch conduit 47 which derives a portion of the liquid forced by the pump and leads to a purifier device 48. Three conduits 49, 50 and 51 extend from this device 48. Through the conduit 49 the purified liquid flows to the radial conduit 34 and therefore to the annular space 31 whence the liquid subjected to the delivery pressure of the purifier device reaches the gap 30 andV acts upon the balancing disc 28 for achieving the equilibrium which compensates for the high `axial charges generated in a multi-stage pump of the type according to the invention. The liquid then reaches the chamber 24 and flows through the throttling passages 23. Owing to the checking resistance exerted by said passages, said liquid ensures proper irrigation of the end bearing 21 of the pump. The liquid that has flown through the passages 23` and has irrigated the bearing 21 reaches the chamber 22 and flows through the channel 44 and a conduit 52 which brings it back to the pump inlet. Said conduit ends by a channel 53 connected to a chamber 54 defined between thelid 8 and the back-ing plate 11 checkingresistance to liquid iiow exertedv byl the throttlin'g passages 13 then facilitates the irrigation.

ofthe end bearing 12 ofthe pump, whereafter they liquid rflow-shack through thespace definedbetween the shaft 5 and the jacket I14 into the pump circuit.

The second circuit lStlwhich extends from theipurier: device 48 is divided yinto a series of conduits 55 connected.

to thev channels 39rand performing the irrigation of the intermediate bearings, whereafter the liquid flows back;

to the delivery circuit of the pump.

While the purified .liquid iiows through the conduits 49 and 50 muds and heavy and -abr-asive mattersv segregated from said liquid in they purifier device 48 flow back through the conduit Sl'to the channel 43 and the chamber 42 before being vreinjected intothepump circuit so as to aviod a modification. of the` composition of thev forced liquid.

It will be understoodthat the purifier device 48 which may be driven -by the pump'only delivers the liquid for balancing and irrigating the bearings after the pump has been operating` for some time. Foipreventing the pump from operating in the dry state, there. is provided an additional device 56 adapted to supply clean liquid as the pump is being started. A conduit 57 extending from the device 56 leads to the conduits 55 for. irri-gating the intermediate bearings while another conduit 58 is connected to the conduit 49 that feedsthe balancing device 23-29 andthe end bearings 12,21. Valves or equivalent members 59 may be provided in the conduits 57 and SSso asto close them olf when the purifier device is fed by the pump outlet.

Another channel 44 provides The auxiliary pump 36 which is fast upon the shaft 5 and slowly drives the liquid in a direction reverse to that of the sets of blades 6, 7 is adapted, as indicated in the foregoing, to prevent the non-purified liquid from reaching the space beneath the balancing device and to balance between the pump outlet and the zone situated under said device the pressure drop produced in the purifier device 43 to provide a substantially constant pressure drop between the input and the output of said device 48.

it will be seen that the several rotor parts of the pump are closely clamped between a shoulder 60 on the shaft 5 and tightening nuts 61, 61. Other constructional features will be of course provided in practice but as they do not belong to the invention they have not been shown.

According to the constructional modification shown in FiG. 3, in which like reference numerals apply to like parts, the balancing device is constituted by a double disc 63 having two active faces one of which designated by 64 cooperates as hereinbefore stated with the plate 29 while the other one designated by 65 `cooperates with an additional plate 6o.

Minor construction details may be varied without departing from the scope `of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a multi-stage axial pump for delivering liquids containing heavy and abrasive matters comprising an inlet, an outlet, stator blades and rotor blades, a shaft carrying7 the rotor blades, end bearings and intermediate bearings for revolubly supporting said shaft, the stator blades and rotor blades defining a working circuit for the pump, a member for balancing the axial thrust of the pump havin two opposed faces defined thereon, said member being fitted upon said shaft outside said working circuit, communicating means interconnecting one face oi said balancing member to the pump outlet for exerting on said face a counter pressure opposing said axial thrust, purifying means interposed in said communicating means `for purifying the liquid conducted to said face of the balancing member, a conduit interconnecting said purifying means and an intermediate position of the pump blades for conducting the heavy and abrasive matters segregated in the purifying means to the working circuit of the pump, conduits connecting the purifying means to the `intermediate bearings supporting the shaft for irrigating these bearings with purified liquid, and means providing communication between the other face of the balancing member and the pump inlet for establishing a lubricating circuit extending through the end bearings supporting the shaft, constrictions being provided in said last-named communicating means.

2. In a multi-stage axial pump for forcing and delivering liquids containing heavy and abrasive matters comprising an inlet, an outlet, stator blades and rotor blades and a shaft carrying said rotor blades, said stator and rotor blades defining a working circuit for the pump, a member for balancing the axial thrust of the pump having two opposed faces defined thereon, communicating means connecting one face of said balancing member to the pump outlet for exerting on said face a counter pressure opposing said axial thrust, a purifying device interposed in said communicating means, a conduit connecting said purifying `device to an intermediate stage of the sets of stator and rotor blades for conducting back to said working circuit the heavy and abrasive matters segregated in the purifying device, and a device for conducting purified liquid to said face of the balancing member during starting of the pump.

3. An axial pump `according to claim 2 comprising bearings revolubly supporting the shaft, conduits connecting the purifying device to said bearings for irrigating them, and further conduits connecting the injection device to said bearings for irrigating them as the pump is being started.

4. In an axial pump for liquids, a body member, an inlet and outlet `defined in said body member, a shaft rotatably mounted in said body member between said inlet and outlet having `blades mounted thereon, said inlet, shaft, blades and outlet `dening a working cir-cuit, liquid operated balancing means operatively associated wit-h said shaft for counterbalancing the axial thrust imposed thereon, means establishing communication between said outlet and said balancing means, filter means interposed in said communication means having a filtered liquid outlet and a residue outlet, said communication means including a conduit interconnecting said filtered liquid outlet and said balancing means and a conduit interconnecting said residue outlet and said working circuit.

5. In an axial pump for pumping liquids, an elongated tubular body having an axially spaced inlet `and outlet defined therein and stator blades internally affixed thereto intermediate said inlet and outlet, a shaft rotatably mounted within said body having rotor blades :mounted thereon cooperating with said stator blades to `define a working circuit, an axial thrust shaft balance member having opposed faces defined thereon fixed to said shaft axially spaced from said working circuit, an annular chamber circumscribing said shaft having one defining side fixed relative to said body and an opposed defining side constituting a thrust balance member face, an annular restricted passage defined about said shaft establishing communication between said chamber and working circuit, filter means in communication with said outlet filtering a portion of the liquid `discharged therefrom and having a filtered liquid outlet, means establishing communication between said filtered liquid outlet and said chamber producing a thrust balancing force within said chamber, auxiliary pump means mounted on said shaft in communication with said chamber and restricted passage slowly moving liquid from said chamber through said passage into said working circuit preventing the liquid within said chamber becoming contaminated with the pumped liquid within -said working circuit.

6. In axial pump as in claim 5, having Shaft bearing means located adjacent said inlet and conduit means establishing communication between said bearing means and the other face of said balance member to lubricate said bearing with liquid escaping from said chamber around said balance member.

7. In an axial pump as in claim 5, where said filter includes a residue outlet and means establishing communication between said residue outlet and said working circuit intermediate said inlet and outlet.

8. ln a multistage axial pump for pumping liquids containing heavy and abrasive matter comprising an inlet, an outlet, stator blades and rotor blades and a shaft carrying the lrotor blades, said stator and rotor blades defining a working circuit for the pump, an inlet volute and an outlet volute both having apertures at right angles to the pump axis, a member for balancing the axial thrust of the pump having two opposed faces defined thereon, said member -being carried by said shaft outside said working circuit, primary communicating means connecting one face of said balancing member to the pump out-let for exerting upon said yface a counter pressure opposing said axial thrust, a throttled passage between said face of the balancing member and the pump blades, a set of stator blades being rigid with the outlet volute, an auxiliary pump adapted to slowly moving the balancing liquid in a direction reverse of that in which the axial pump forces the liquid, said auxiliary pump being located across said throttled passage, secondary means providing a communication between the `other face of the balancing member and the pump inlet, constrictions being provided in the last-named communicating means, and a purifying device interposed in said primary communicating means and a conduit connecting said purifying device to an intermediate stage of the blades for conducting to the latter the heavy and abrasive matters separated in said purifying device.

9. `In a multistage axial pump for Iforcing and delivering liquids containing heavy and abrasive matter comprising an inlet side, an voutlet side, stator blades and rotor blades and a shaft carrying `the rotor blades, said stator and rotor blades defining a Working circuit for the pump, a member for balancing the axial thrust of the pump, sai-d member being mounted upon said shaft outside sai-d working circuit and including a first `face and a second face, cornmunicating means connecting said first face `olf said balancing member to the outlet side of the pump for eXerting upon said first dace a counterpressure opposing said axial thrust, a conduit connecting the second -face of said balancing member to the inlet side of the pump, throttled passages in said conduit, an injector device connected to the'first face of the balancing device, selectively operated valves arranged between said injector device and said balancing member permitting liquid to flow to said balancing device upon starting the pump, a purifier device mounted in said communicating means, a conduit connecting said purifier device to an intermediate point of the stator and rotor blades to conduct the heavy and abrasive matters segregated in the purier device to said Working circuit, intermediate bearings supporting thetsha-ft, conduits for the purified `liquid connecting the purifier device to said intermediate bearings for lubricating them, conduits con- 1, necting the injector-device to sai-d intermediate bearings,v

and control valves interposed in the last-named conduits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS A in 

1. IN A MULTI-STAGE AXIAL PUMP FOR DELIVERING LIQUIDS CONTAINING HEAVY AND ABRASIVE MATTERS COMPRISING AN INLET, AN OUTLET, STATOR BLADES AND ROTOR BLADES, A SHAFT CARRYING THE ROTOR BLADES, END BEARINGS AND INTERMEDIATE BEARINGS FOR REVOLUBLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT, THE STATOR BLADES AND ROTOR BLADES DEFINING A WORKING CIRCUIT FOR THE PUMP, A MEMBER FOR BALANCING THE AXIAL THRUST OF THE PUMP HAVING TWO OPPOSED FACES DEFINED THEREON, SAID MEMBER BEING FITTED UPON SAID SHAFT OUTSIDE SAID WORKING CIRCUIT, COMMUNICATING MEANS INTERCONNECTING ONE FACE OF SAID BALANCING MEMBER TO THE PUMP OUTLET FOR EXERTING ON SAID FACE A COUNTER PRESSURE OPPOSING SAID AXIAL THRUST, PURIFYING MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID COMMUNICATING MEANS FOR PURIFYING THE LIQUID CONDUCTED TO SAID FACE OF THE BALANCING MEMBER, A CONDUIT INTERCONNECTING SAID PURIFYING MEANS AND AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION OF THE PUMP BLADES FOR CONDUCTING THE HEAVY AND ABRASIVE MATTERS SEGRAGATED IN THE PURIFYING MEANS TO THE WORKING CIRCUIT OF THE PUMP, CONDUITS CONNECTING THE PURIFYING MEANS TO THE INTERMEDIATE BEARINGS SUPPORTING THE SHAFT FOR IRRIGATING THESE BEARINGS WITH PURIFIED LIQUID, AND MEANS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OTHER FACE OF THE BALANCING MEMBER AND THE PUMP INLET FOR ESTABLISHING A 